Nobody likes Monday mornings and this week mine was particularly depressing. During the rainy commute to my office my trusty Mercedes CLK decided to lose all power whilst accelerating. Thankfully I wasn’t far from a Mercedes garage and I managed to roll the car into the forecourt. Mercedes offered to run some diagnostic tests and very politely offered me a courtesy New Mini Cooper car. Forty minutes later I was back on the road in a Vauxhall Zafira! I don’t want to appear ungrateful but I seriously think that this is the worst car I have ever driven,
Aesthetically the car was far from pleasing but I suppose that it not so important for a people carrier. A people carrier should offer functionality and flexibility and in fairness the Zafira provides both, but that is where the fun ends.
Lets start with the wing mirrors. I spent ages adjusting them but when I got on the motorway everything seemed to be driving at me from an angle. The gear stick is mounted in the middle of the radio console which I found to be very strange and it was incredibly hard to change gears. My arm was aching when I arrived home. Don’t get me started on the handbrake, it has to be seen to be believed but lets just say that it is far from conventional and far from practical. The indicator is flimsy and don’t be over zealous with it or you will be indicating one way and turning another!
I didn’t expect Vauxhall to compare to Mercedes in terms of finishing touches but the Zafira is almost impossible to drive. My advice, steer clear!
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